Maggie Walsh, Sunset

“I have known Maggie Walsh for over thirty years, we are related through family and Palm Island connections. We both spent many years travelling and participating in seminars together to assist in healing our First Nation Australian communities, from the unresolved grief and loss from the impact of colonisation. This book of poems and writings is a reflection of Maggie’s life of hardship and succeeding against all odds. After the seminars of our healing journey, both Maggie and I would sing to close the day of reflections. I am so proud of Maggie achieving her milestone of these writings and no doubt this book, is just the beginning of many more to come. I wish my deadly sister all the very best in the future, as a writer, poet, singer, artist, comedian and most importantly, a proud Indigenous Australian woman...Maggie’s talents are many and her presentations would captivate the world. This book is a true reflection of Australia’s First Nation’s Journey. Wadamoolie, Greetings.”—Dr Gracelyn  Smallwood

Maggie Walsh is a Bwcolgamon woman from Palm Island. As she has spent a lot of her childhood years in the Dormitory, Walsh is still finding her family connections. Walsh was born in Townsville in 1964. Her mother Anne was in the Dormitory. She was 17 years old. When she was two years old, her mother was sent to work on the mainland. Walsh remained in the Dormitory and was cared for by the young women friends of her mother, women who had been sent to Palm Island, away from their homes and families. When the Dormitory closed in 1975, at eleven years old, Walsh was placed back into the care of her mother. Walsh has read her poetry at various events and festivals over the years, NAIDOC in Townsville, WIPCE Conference at Rod Laver Arena Melbourne, the Queensland Poetry Festival, Sydney Writers’ Festival, and the Palm Island Spring Festival.